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Chain of Command Part 1
' |image= |series= |production= 40276-236 |producer(s)= |story= Frank Abatemarco |script= Ronald D. Moore |director= Robert Scheerer |imdbref=tt0708686 |guests=Ronny Cox as Captain Edward Jellico, Natalija Nogulich as Vice-admiral Alynna Nechayev, John Durbin as Gul Lemec, Lou Wagner as DaiMon Solok, David Warner as Gul Madred, Majel Barrett as Enterprise Computer (voice) |previous_production=The Quality of Life |next_production=Chain of Command Part 2 |episode=TNG S06E10 |airdate= 14 December 1992 |previous_release=The Quality of Life |next_release=Chain of Command Part 2 |story_date(s)=Stardate 46357.4 |previous_story=The Quality of Life |next_story=Chain of Command Part 2 }} =Summary= Captain Picard, Lt Worf, and Dr Crusher are assigned by Starfleet on a covert mission to destroy a Cardassian biological weapons installation on Celtris III, a Cardassian border world. In Picard's place, Starfleet assigns Captain Edward Jellico, who exhibits a vastly different style of command and decorum to the Enterprise crew, particularly to Commander Riker. Under Jellico's command, the Enterprise patrols the border near Minos Korva, a tactically significant Federation planet, and holds negotiations as to the fate of the planet with Cardassian representatives. After intense training in the holodeck, Picard, Worf, and Crusher discreetly arrive on Celtris III and infiltrate the installation. They find no signs of biological weapons, and soon discover their information was a Cardassian trap designed to capture Picard. Worf and Crusher escape, but Picard is taken to an interrogator, Gul Madred. =Errors and Explanations= Plot oversights # Where does the light that permeates the cave system come from? This could be light from the surface reflected by the rocks. Continuity and Production Problems # Picard apparently speaking to a member of the Children of Tama - a race that speak only in metaphor - in the bar on Torman V. The alien could be a member of a different similar looking race. Nit Central # Sergeant Mike on Saturday, November 06, 1999 - 7:58 am: Considering the fact that Captain Jellico is supposed to be a "Good captain", his attitude in shuffling departments and things around when he first comes aboard the Enterprise is strange. I'm in the military and I've seen commanders come and go. A good commander may want to make changes but won't push as hard and take the advice and suggestions of his subordinates. Bad commanders (and I've had them) do like Jellico. this usually causes a loss of morale and efficiency. (I have seen one company commander relieved of command because of this) My question is seeing how Jellico operates didn't Starfleet take into account that it may actually be a detriment to the mission?Charles Cabe (Ccabe) on Saturday, November 06, 1999 - 10:37 am:''Starfleet was trying to make it look like the change in command was permanent. But, the brass knew that Picard would probably return to his post with in a few weeks. "Shake 'em up" Jellicoe's actions seemed to play into that myth. ''Jeremy on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 11:05 pm: Perhaps Starfleet simply hasn't paid much attention to Jellico's relationships with his subordinates. He might not make any friends among his crew, but he does get the job done. As far as interpersonal relations, he might not be "a particularly good captain," as Riker points out. However, he does get results. And maybe that's more important to Starfleet. # D.W. March on Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 5:22 pm: My question is, why didn't they just launch a missile at it? The Maquis have these super missiles and so do the Cardassians. Seemingly, these things can fly cloaked and blow things up quite well, if Dreadnaught is any indication. So why not use one of those instead? They're much more expendable. Would the Federation object to using a cloaking device on them? It's not like that would be any less illegal than sending commandos! Cybermortis on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 5:25 am: Using a cloaking device would be breaking the treaty the Federation has with the Romulans. If I understand the terms of the treaty even building a cloaking device would be illegal. A commando mission will only annoy the Cardassians, a cloaked missile will annoy both the Cardassians and Romulans. Plus the Romulans/Cardassians will make sure everyone else is aware that the Federation will ignore treaties with other powers when they feel like it. This would turn a small dispute into a far larger one. # Given the problems that Jellico has and will have with Riker, why didn't he request that his first officer from the Cairo be transferred to the Enterprise? LUIGI NOVI on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 11:39 pm: Presumably, the Cairo warped away after sending over Jellico, and may have other duties during this mission. # Why isn't the Tactical Officer of the Flagship of the Federation familiar with all types of weapons? Worf should know what a metagenic weapon is. LUIGI NOVI on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 11:39 pm: Well, he should certainly be familiar with a lot of them, but he can't be a walking encyclopedia like Data, so it's not impossible for him to be unfamiliar with one or two. If this weapon was outlawed, as Crusher and Picard mention in the shuttle, and there hasn't been any concrete threat of it in Starfleet-Cardassian relations, esp. if Worf's job is to be up to date on weapons that are in danger of being used. # Ratbat on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 10:13 am: Granted, I'm not actually in the military (but, then, neither are our heroes in Starfleet, wink, wink!), but Jellico wants his four-shift thing implemented by, what was it, that evening or something? Over the whole ship? With loads and loads of people on board? That would take a lot of organising. (Where I work, it's considered a rush if a single timetable aspect is changed within a few days. People have to come from somewhere. Are there really enough spare people on the Enterprise to make up a fourth shift to fully operate the ship? And if there are, what have they been doing all this time?) Brian Fitzgerald on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 5:10 pm: The 4 shift thing would not require more people just a major restructureing of the week. Presumably to have the same number of people on each position as normaly needed you'd have to break up the week with people working 2 shifts in a row on some days and not on others. # John A. Lang on Sunday, December 08, 2002 - 2:06 pm: In one of these parts, (pt1 or pt2) Data is wearing red instead of yellow. It happens after Riker is removed from duty. Is Data the new first officer? If so, that creates a nit in Phil's book on "Number of promotions for Data" Rene on Sunday, December 08, 2002 - 6:57 pm: Well, it's not really a promotion. More like a transfer. Data is still a lieutenant commander. # John A. Lang on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 2:41 pm: Why didn't Picard, Crusher & Worf have emergency transporter transponders attached to their bodies just in case of trouble? Especially when they found out the whole thing was a trap. They are not in range of a friendly transporter during the course of the mission. # John A. Lang on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 2:44 pm: I found that the Enterprise crew's behavior was indeed "whiny". The point is, whoever is Captain..you must obey him...unless he orders something unrational. None of Jellico's orders were unrational. (With the exception of Troi's uniform change :) ) Brian Fitzgerald on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 7:19 pm: They did obey him, except for Riker. They are fully entitaled to b*tch about anything they want behind his back. John A. Lang on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 9:20 pm: True...however, If Jellico ever got wind of their complaints, it may be interpreted as insubordination. ScottN on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 9:03 am: Why? Grousing about the "Old Man" is a time honored military tradition, that probably predates Caesar. Jeff Muscato on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 7:02 pm: If one person does it, it's insubordination. If everyone does it, it's a bad captain. If the first officer (been there for years) does it, who do you think the crew will follow? # Lane on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 1:30 pm: Hi there, Just watched Star Trek V and asked myself why Picard, Crusher, and Whorf needed a rock-climbing gear, while Spock was able to fly around El Capitan in Yosemite with his "rocket" boots? At least it's not as dangerous as using ropes and other oldfashioned equipment, and in Picard's days such a flying equipment should be really small, even allow walking with it. Thande on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 4:45 pm: Maybe it would have shown up on Cardassian sensors. Kind of like attaching rockets to a submarine. =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation